Meter-box.



H. lvl. L oFToN.J

METER BOX-.-

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 31,1916

@xvi/hudson Patented Dec. 11, 1917.'

v frame' having an `inlet chamber with-which reiht-aaa.;

stamvader ef Letters faena y Mamma ratenteu neu iig-miv.;

Appncaunfnieaoaober a1, 191e semaine. marea Be it known thatlgl-IERBERT Mfliorjron, ai citizenA of the United States, andresident of Chattandoga, county; of Hamilton, and State of Tennessee, haveinvented an Improveis aspecification.` f

My. invention has for its'object` certain .im; provem'entsin meter boxes, and more par.- ticularly' in' the means for supporting the meterin' aj Ysuspended positions` whereby it maybeV easily installed or removed.4

My improvements consist 1n anV annular ment in Meter-Boxes; ofwhich the followingthe street main11d makes ,cornmunicatiomv said t annular frame-having a'l shut-ofi valve se-` cured theretoand in ycommunication withthe inlet chamber and als having `a socketed outlet for 'rec'eivingV and supporting the inlet to the meter=,-t-he saidfa'nnular frame being provided with anadjustable house mainA outf letfalsothaving aisocketand `support adapted to receive'andisupporttheA outlet of the me# ter;I saidtadjustable house main outlet provided with'imeans for adjusting it longitudinally toand fromthemete'r. L p

My invention' also comprehends details :of construction' which, together with the? features above stated, will beY better understood. by reference tothe drawingsy'inwhich Fi'gnre'll is sectibnalfelevation `of a por;- `tion offa" meter boxand meter support with meter attached;V embodying my invention; Fig.' Qis a similar view of a modified form ofi thevsamerg: Fig. 3* isa transversesection iiiustratingtheimode of operatingA the house main outlet to;rsecurejadjustment; and Fig. dis .plan view` of" the` annular casing shown inFig. i u

Referring vfirstto theA construction illustratedin Figs. 1 andfi", the meter boxisindicated by way of example as comprising a concrete chamfber 0a uponwhich rests an annularcast ironbase 30, and ulzwvardv from which-extends a castl iron box orjchamber 30",: this iorminga part :0f-the construction illustrated" in my application Serial Number .siaesaffned May aaien. This annular plate' 30of' the meter box is shown as provided with'upwardlyextending: lugs 29 upon whichi :the Vannular `meter support 2 rests so that it iss-surrounded on all fsidesby air. The annular nietersupport 2 vis a casting having wait" one sid'e'faniinlet chamber 3 provided with ai unioni@ at thebottom for lmakingconneo H tien' .with the ventisei street'maiu ripe ,.5

which projects `upwardly through the tubu` lar part-'30a of `the meter box. Screwed into` the upperpart oi' the chamber is the shut-ofi' i valve 7 having the `y spindle;- 8 shaped to; req

ceive'a key orother suitable means inserted from' above `for turning the `valve .pieceto shutfo the water from the street-main when desired; .as `when removingjthe meter. This valve 7 1s provided with a socket Qhaving an annular packingflO against `which themeterinlet 251presses `for making Aa watertight jointr between itlandthe valve. Thelower part of thesocketlf) is made semifeircular` and` forms atcradleinto which the meter inlet 25isplaced and by which it issup-` ported inproper alinement with the outlet" of the valve 7. At the side of the,` annular frame 2, diametrically opposite from the chamber 3A are arranged two upwardly pro"- jecting `portions 16a `having through them horizontal holes 16 through Y which; the threaded hub 12 ,of the housamain outlet nozzle l1 is horizontally guided in a direction toand` from the valve 7 The house main outlet nozzlelli` isprovided with a Supporting:I socket/12` and` an' `annularpackingl correspondingrto thoseof the; valve 7 but oppo-` sitely` directed and] adapted toA receive and support-:the outlet-26 of the meter 211. The nozzle 11, is furthermore provided with a sinuous tubular outlet 11t extending from the nozzle andropening downward in aV union 15l whichconnects with thefvertical house main 14 which may extend downward through the meter box. The means" Jfor adjfustin'g the nozzlel'l comprises a wormwheel 18` which has a' hole threaded to receive the threaded hub 12 of the nozzle. This worm wheel is arranged in the space 17 between theA parts 16Tc1 of the annularv frame?, and thereby positioned while free to y revolve upon the hub. This worm wheel is rotated by a` worm :1d-having a hexagonal .or-other polygonal-shaped other endupon which an operating key may befplaced for rotating 1t.

ward from the bottom through the cashing p `and into ahole in the worin thereby providing an Saris about whichthe worm may rotate. ,Byrotating/ the worm the nozzlell will be moved toward lor fromthe valve 7 and thereby? enables the `soflet portions Q and 12-to clamp upon the inlet and outlet of tion of the nozzle l1 and at the same time holds y, the nozzle' against rotating withrthe ,'Worm Wheel. yVlhen vthe meter is to be rermoved, the valve 7 is shut-o'iifbutfwhenhin place and clamped in position between the sockets 9 and 12,'the -valve 7 is turned on so that'vthevvater-rises 4frompipel 5 intolithe chamber 3,'tl1'ence-through the-valve 7 meter 24', nozzle 11, and down by pipe lato place of'use'.vk Y v Inth'e construction shown in FignQ/,Jwe hav'einj a-general Way the' same arrangement of parts vbut modified so' that the-annular frame''facts' as a base and sets upon the ground. Inthis case,l the inlet chamber 3 is provided With a-lateral screvv threaded inlet ta-into' which' the street main isv screwed. The annular frame'may also be provided vvithrfanfupright flange Quand shapedto support a suitable meter boX above it, the annularfframe actingfasthe base of saidmeter boX. The annular iframe in this -case is shovvnpas closedat the bottom, Whereas'in Fig, 1" ift is left opento yprovidelentrance for thepipel 14.' f In Fig. 2, the housemainnozzlewll' v is made` tubular Within the screw threadedihub part 12,. and its end is screwthreaded at vla'jfor connection? Witlrthe house main. -In thiscase there1-isno pipe connection 14: to hold' the nozzle 1l against rotation' during the f adjustment -for clampling the-l meter in'place, and consequently in lieu thereof I provide a downwardly extendofjthe annular-frame,- vvhich construction preventsthe rotation of' the noz'zle'll but permits of its longitudinal adjustment in the -lJIn means forremovably supporting a meter` in a meter boX, an annular-frame-havprovided 'with i anA inlet connectionhthereto for'- thestreet main and atithe-'diametric'ally jopposite sidea double flanged portion having-a transverse holenV therethroughinthe samevertical` plane but higher leveltlian the. inlet chamber, combinedy with"` a shutioi valve directlyscrewed into the v top! ofl the inlet chamber'of-Vthe annular-frame a-'n'd havlatera'lly extending socket in alineme'nt Lvvith'-V the rtransverse hole and for receiving Vand'supportingy lthe inletnozzl'eofthe meter @admise having an upwardly-pragma@ .spindle part for receiving a key to operate thevalve aphouse main outlet nozzle having a screvv threaded portion'extending through rand, .guided by the transverse hole in the llzvufiged portions of the annular frame and having iarsorcket for receiving and supporting the 'outlet nozzle of the meter said socket be- Yingfdirected. towardthe socket of the shutoi valve, a Worm arranged between the iianges and internally screw threaded and through Whichthescrew threaded portion Tof the nozzleextends, .Worm means to rotate `the Worm wheelhfor4 adjusting thefnozzleito and from the valve, a-nd a'house main-in communication-vvitlr the'nozzle. 80 2. In means for removably,:supporting a meterin a meter-box, an annular iramehaving lat one side an enlarged inletichamber provided with an inlet connection gthereto at the bottom and having a union fondetachable connection with avvertical. portion of the streetrmain Vand at the diamertlically opnosite side a doublelanged -portionhaving a transverse hole therethrough ein thel .same vertical plane but higher level than theinlet chamber, combined vaith'a shutoff valve-directlyscrevved into the top of thefinlct-.chami ber of the*annular-framaand having a laterally extendingsocket in alinement vvitlnthe transverse-hole and for.V receiving and. sup,n porting the inlet -nozzle of. the nieter,.and also having an 'upwardly projecting spindle part for receiving a key to operatethevalve, a house main-outlet nozzle. having a screw threaded portions extending througln and 100 guided by the transverse holein thelianged portions oftheannular frame and having a :socket for receiving. and supportingtheoutlet nozzle of-themeteigsaid socket being directed toward-the socket ofthe shut-oft' valve 105 andalso having a ,downwardly iextending union .portion for direct detachable ,connec- V'tion' with -an upright pipefconstituting, a part ofgthe house main, arwormarranged fbetvveen the 4iianges and: internally lscrew 110 threaded andi v throughwwhich '..the screw threaded-'portionrof the nozzle extends, Worm means to rotate the Worm Wheel foradjusting= the nozzle to and from the valve,.and ahouse niainin'communication with the 115 nozzle. 3': The combination yof a meter box casing having-an annular flange portion, an annular 'framefor' supporting. the meter in thevboX casing supported upon theannular tiange 12o portion and lia-vinganinlet chamber. eX- -tending inwardly,y said'inlet chamber being provided with a union, for coupling tothe inlet main, a valve screvved into the top of the inletchaniber and having a lateral :outlet 125 socketV to-,receive the meter inlet, an adjustable outlet nozzle- Amovably guided. in the anymilan-frame diametricallv opposite to the an inlet socket tot receive the-meter outlet 130 1,249,435 :zum

and also having a downwardly extending union for coupling to the house main and hold it against rotation, and means carried by the annular frame to shift the nozzle toward and from the valve, whereby the meter may be detachably clamped between the sockets.

l. In a meter support, an annular frame having an open center and provided with an inlet chamber at one side and transverse guide holes at the other side and at a higher level than the inlet chamber7 said inlet chamber being provided at the top with an outlet and at the bottom with a union inlet.

5. In a meter support, an annular Jframe having an open center and provided with an inlet chamber at one side and transverse guide holes at the other side and at a higher level than the inlet chamber, said inlet chamber being provided at the top with an outlet and at the bottom with a union inlet, combined with a valve secured in the outlet of the inlet chamber having a lateral socket for the meter inlet, an adjustable nozzle guided in the transverse holes of the annular frame and having a lateral socket for the meter outlet and also a downwardly extending union for detachable connection with a vertical house main, the said house main holding the nozzle against rotating while permitting adjustment toward and from the valve, and means carried by the annular frame and nozzle for adjusting the latter.

In testimony of which invention, I here'- unto set my hand.

HERBERT M. LOF'ION.

Witnesses:

C. 0. REED, K. L. MGCARTHY.

@oplet of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the ommissloner et Patenta, Washington, D. C. 

